Prologue
Brother, wherever you come from, rejoice! Cast off any sadness or anxiety. Behold, we are all standing in the presence of Christ. He wants to be here for us. Weak and frail though we are, he wants to be here for us throughout our lives.
The spiritual journey we are travelling together is the way of a quest for God, and of conversion. Again and again, we must set out, letting ourselves be found by Him, returning home to the merciful Father’s arms. We trust that what we keep trying to accomplish here, will by his grace be given to us at the end of this earthly life. Like a child on his mother’s lap, let yourself be upheld by the simple faith that you are God’s possession. He has written your name on the palm of his hand and nothing and no one can tear you away from him.
Therefore, let our first work be the praise of the Triune God. Praise, thanksgiving and honor be to him, our Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. All salvation comes from God alone, who is greater than our hearts.
Don’t hesitate on your way. Keep going forward with your brothers. Run out to meet Christ. When it is dark, when the wind is blowing strongly against you and the waves are towering above you, then cry out to him! Stretch out your hand to him, and trust. He is already there, ready to grasp your hand, to hold you and save you.
Bear with the great and small hardships, and bear with your brothers as well. In this way, be a sign of fraternal love and joy. Be an icon of God’s mercy in your place and time. Never resign yourself to the divisions among Christians. Christ is the head of the body, and the body is one. Fear not, the church of Jesus Christ is greater and more glorious than you can see. Don't forget: there is only one Lord! His coming in glory is as certain as the coming of the dawn. To Him belong, together with the Father and Holy Spirit, all honor, thanksgiving and adoration, now and throughout eternity. Amen.
1.0 Typikon
Brother, this Typikon is intended to be only a minimal structure for community life in Collegium Orientale. It is offered as a support to you in your spiritual life. In your prayer and work, don’t forget: the Lord God sees not only what is external, he sees your heart.
Be realistic and temperate, so that you will not become weary and sad at the beginning of your journey. Don’t worry about tomorrow - live in the present moment. Today Christ comes to you in countless ways and meets you in all your encounters. You will progress on your journey by faith, not by sight.
Give your entire self. Give yourself, without counting the cost and the Lord will give you an abundant and overflowing measure in return. Don’t look back. Hurry joyfully and gratefully toward the dawn, to praise and glorify Christ your Lord.
1.1 Life in the Community of Collegium Orientale
Our life in COr gives us an experience of fraternal community. For several years we share a journey together in the presence of God. May it bring us, and others, to healing and salvation. Our community becomes the place where you should share and make present the kingdom of God. The mystery of the Gospel will become true and believable when we not only hear the words, but also make the effort to put them into action. The house rules and schedule give the external framework for our spiritual journey. Follow them and they will support you.
We all want freedom, but we don’t always know what this freedom really is or where it is to be found. We only find freedom when we voluntarily commit ourselves to Jesus Christ through faith. Freedom is not to be found in simply doing what we like. Freedom, without faith in God, leads to the slavery of sin and to chaos.
Make a new effort each day to understand the others. Listen and express your opinion, but without going to extremes. If you have experienced a disappointment or an injustice, do not take revenge. Don’t let yourself get caught up in sad and discouraging brooding. Resist the temptation to murmur or to be unfairly critical because, linked with pride, these two temptations will damage your soul.
In everything, trust in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our faith tells us that the Holy Spirit will do everything. The Holy Spirit transforms a tax collector (St. Matthew) into an Evangelist; transforms a persecutor of the Church (St. Paul) into a preacher of the Gospel; transforms a coward (St. Peter) into the foremost witness of God’s love and mercy towards frail humanity.
Behold, each day offers so much goodness and light in all our encounters, experiences, in all things and in all people. Trust and be thankful.
2.0 The Rector
The Rector is appointed by the Bishop as COr director. He should not forget that he must be a just steward as well as a good father, and sometimes a doctor to those who are entrusted to him. He should see their faults, but love the brothers. He must bear the responsibility for the entire community and for each individual. He should heal rather than reject, he should encourage rather than oppress.
As every community needs leadership, and every circle needs a center, so every community needs a person willing to serve in the position of authority. Accept your superior, who is responsible for this ministry. More than anyone else in our community, he needs your good will and your forbearance. In spite of his weaknesses, consider his vocation to this ministry. It is his assignment to build up unity among the brothers and to keep the community growing in fidelty to their vocation.
2.1 The Vice-Rector, the Spiritual Father and the Prefect
The Bishop appoints a Vice-Rector for COr. He assists the Rector with the leadership of COr. He is primarily an administrator and a mentor. He will represent the Rector when he is absent, but personal matters remain the sole responsibility of the Rector.
The Spiritual Father is also appointed by the Bishop. The students who come in confidence to the Spiritual Father should be led firmly, with love and clarity. The „forum internum“ should at all costs be protected and respected.
The Rector chooses a member of the community to be appointed Prefect for a specific period of time. The Prefect is responsible for the practical and organizational details in COr. Faithfulness to the prayer schedule, work and silence are his concerns, as well as encouraging a good atmosphere among the brothers. He should be a model of spiritual life and study. He is accountable only to the Rector. Personal matters, however, are reserved exclusively to the Rector.
2.2 The Various Committees
2.2.1 COr Council for material concerns
A separate board, as stated in the statutes, regulates the budget of COr.
2.2.2 Council of the Brothers in our community
I. The COr Assembly
All brothers/sisters have membership and vote. In the assembly all organizational issues will be discussed, but no personal matters.
II. The COr Council
Members include the Rector, Vice-Rector, the Spiritual Father, the Prefect, the elected Speaker of COr and a representative elected from each class level. The Rector would do well to discuss the Assembly agenda with the COr council in advance. The Council is elected for a term of one year.
III. The COr Speaker
At the beginning of the winter term, the Speaker is elected by the members of COr assembly for a term of one year, by an absolute majority. He will be trusted to work closely with the Rector and Vice-Rector on organizational concerns and to be attentive to the desires and suggestions of the brothers. He should be fair and loyal.
IV. The Class Speakers
Class Speakers are elected by their classmates, likewise for a term of one year, but with a simple majority. They should take an active part in the discussions of the COr Council and in putting Council agreements into practice in community. In addition, they should present the students’ desires and suggestions to the Council for discussion. In the COr board, the Rector will introduce the Class Speakers’ concerns.
3.0 Prayer and the Order of Worship
Prayer should neither be merely a duty for us, nor a burden, but rather a privilege and a gift. In the course of our lives, our prayer changes in its form and mode of expression, as a reflection of our life and the grace of God.
Sometimes you will feel nearer to the Lord, tasting how good the Lord is - then rejoice and give Him the glory. Sometimes your prayer will seem dry and empty to you - then your helplessness and your longing will be your best prayer. And sometimes you will not be able to do anything except silently offer your entire life to God. Don't be discouraged. Reserve a good part of your time each day for prayer. Prayer is essential to your vocation.
Again and again, embark on your journey of prayer. Above all, make use of prayer in community. Let yourself be carried by the common prayer, which annoints the daily wounds, and opens you to a wider perspective when your way seems too narrow. Remember what the Gospel says of the paralytic: "As the Lord saw their faith (the faith of the men who had carried the paralytic on his pallet) he healed him.”
3.1 Worship in Community
We follow the Byzantine Liturgical tradition in our worship. Other Eastern Rites have guest privileges. We rejoice over the prayed and chanted diversity of this “tunic of Christ” that the liturgy sets before us. As far as possible, our worship at COr is always celebrated in the German language.
The liturgical schedule is set by the brother responsible for the liturgy of the week (Taxiarch). On Friday evening the schedule for the following week should be made available.
3.1.1 Morning Prayer
On Sundays and feast days we will celebrate Morning Praise. On days when classes are in session, we will pray the Little Hour or a Doxology or a Moleben. After that, we celebrate the Holy Liturgy, except in Lent.
3.1.2 The Divine Liturgy (Eucharist)
The center of all our worship is the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. We celebrate it daily, according to the liturgical calendar.
The Eucharist should grow to be the center of our lives. This Mystery signifies and effects what it proclaims: a life through, with, and in Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist creates and builds up the church. Through the Eucharist we, with the church, become the Body of Christ in the mystery of the Redemption, although we are weak and sinful. The Eucharist is an invitation of grace, supporting us on our journey toward our goal. In this celebration we praise and glorify the source of our actions, the source and fulfillment of our lives through grace and mercy.
St. Augustine said of the effectiveness of the Eucharist: "If you receive the Eucharist with the proper disposition, then you are what you have received." Similarly, Pope St. Leo the Great commented: "Receiving the Body and Blood of Christ has no other purpose than to let us become what we receive."
To keep our prayer grounded in truth, we are given both our everyday life and our brothers. Neither aesthetics nor feelings will carry us far. Only when we become bread for the others, sharing our life with them and letting ourselves be transformed through the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ, are we able to bring help and salvation to many others. The Church offers her very self in this Mystery.
3.1.3 The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
According to the liturgical norms, in the Great Lenten season we celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts twice weekly.
3.1.4 Blessing at Meals
The blessing at meals will be said by the Rector or, when he is not present, by the Vice-Rector or by the Spiritual Father, or by the senior priest according to date of ordination. The prayer of thanksgiving after the meal is led in the same way.
3.1.5 Table Reading
The blessing is followed by a short reading from the Holy Scriptures and the Synaxarion.
3.1.6 The Evening Prayers
Vespers marks the beginning of the new liturgical day. When possible we celebrate Evening Praise together as a community.
3.1.7 The Little Compline
With the Little Compline we close the liturgical day.
3.1.8 The Nekrosimos
On Friday evening we pray the Nekrosimos (Pannychida) especially for our deceased.
4.0 Order for Meals
Everyday we eat together as a community three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
4.1 Order for Fast Days
In the first and seventh week of Lent we follow a strict fast on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We eat no meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, or oil, and we abstain from wine. During the other five weeks of Lent, we abstain from meat.
4.2 Apostle Fast
We keep the Apostle Fast from June 14-28. We abstain from meat and fish, eating fish only on Sundays.
4.3 The Marian Fast
From August 1-14, we keep the same fast as the Apostle Fast.
4.4 The Christmas Fast (Philip Fast)
From November 14 – December 24, we keep the same fast as the Apostle Fast.
4.5 Fasting During the Year
Meatless meals will be served on Wednesdays and Fridays according to the Order for Fast Days.
Exceptions from Fast Order on Wednesdays and Fridays :
- during the week between Christmas and Theophany
- the weeks from Easter to Ascension
- the week following Pentecost
On these Wednesdays and Fridays we intentionally eat meat, in our joy that the „Bridegroom“ is in our midst.
5.0 The Sick and the Guests
Caring for the sick has priority over all other duties. The Rector and a brother whom he appoints are responsible for the care of the sick.
COr will always have guests, and all guests should be welcomed as we would receive Christ. The Rector and the brothers he appoints are responsible for hospitality. The guest should at least be offered something to eat and drink as “Eulogion of the Lord”. When guests wish to stay overnight, the normal House Rules of COr apply.
6.0 Study and Everyday Life
Education is part of our vocation, and study is your assignment which must be fulfilled at this stage of your journey. This work should be taken as seriously as the spiritual life. In this way our prayer will be true, not misused as an escape.
Don't try to escape from your room - stay there and “your cell will teach you all things”, as the desert fathers said. Idleness is the enemy of the soul. Live according to the daily rhythm of COr: prayer, work, reading, and time together in community. In this way you will best fulfill the Lord’s will during your time here in COr.
Keep your expectations and requirements realistic and not extravagant - both regarding yourself and the others. Dissatisfaction and self-pity are like an insidious poison for you and for the community. Don't succumb to „Western“ temptations. Place your trust in “being” more than in “having”.
Everyone should have what is necessary for their work. One who needs less should not be sad just because a brother who needs more, receives more. The one who needs more should not be self-important. Be careful not to become envious. Envy often leads to uncontrolled irritation, quarreling and hatred.
7.0 Serving the Community
Watch for opportunities, both great and small, to serve the community. You will grow according to the measure of your readiness to give. Instead of demanding, give. Instead of mistrusting, trust. Instead of being served, serve. Instead of cursing, bless!
When you offer your capabilities and insights in brotherly service, our community will become more abundant. In fraternal togetherness and with God’s grace COr will become a place where confessional and individual diversity will abide in unity.
8.0 The Living Quarters
Your room is your cell, your domain. This is the place where you have freely agreed to be assigned by your superior. Don't flee from it casually and without serious reason. Be organized. Your room should provide you with the necessary solitude and security that you need for your journey.
Don't receive company in your room without serious reason. If you want to spend time with others, make use of the scheduled times and the community rooms. In our living quarters, there should be a happy and spiritual atmosphere of silence so that the individual brothers will enjoy spending time there, studying, meditating and relaxing.
9.0 Silence
Following the office of Little Compline, or after 10 p.m. at the latest, try to avoid making noise. Be attentive to the needs of others in your speech and in moving about.
10.0 Responsibilities outside the Community
Our life together should be like that of a good family. If someone has obligations outside the community, he should discuss it with the Rector. As a rule, everyone must be present in the COr community during the course of the school term.
Priests and deacons who are given pastoral duties by their bishop should discuss this with the Rector. The forum, evening silence and the retreats are obligatory to all.
Foreseen practical assignments within the school term are regulated separately
11.0 Vacation and Home Visits
The brothers should return home twice a year during semester breaks to meet with their local superior, according to our agreement with the responsible parties. The longer visit home (August - October) should primarily be used to deepen one’s own experience of the local traditions and liturgical practices.
12.0 The Brotherly Warning, Reprimand, or Expulsion
If a brother repeatedly gives offense in an important matter, he will privately receive one or two warnings from the Rector. If he does not improve, he will be called before the Council of COr and reprimanded.
Out of concern for the healthy members of the community, the Rector should not hesitate to expel him if these attempts fail to bring healing. A report will be drawn up giving the reasons for expulsion, and the decision for dismissal will be sent to his local bishop.
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Epilogue
Brother, this Typikon leaves many things unsaid, but you know the Golden Rule from the Holy Gospel: "Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that is the Law and the Prophets" (Mt. 7,12).
We are on a journey together. We are pilgrims in this world who are on their way home to their Father's house. Realizing this, we must use a different measure for the value of things than we used to do.
Here on our pilgrimage we are singing the Alleluia while toiling along, but there on God's great Easter morning it will be transformed into the Alleluia of fulfillment.
Christ, the “kindly and serene light”, is coming to meet us. As the evening light transfigures and beautifies everything, so our Lord and Redeemer, in his merciful love, transfigures our lives. The hardship of sowing the seed will bring fruit. The tears of desert days will transform barren soil into a blooming land.
Let all of this give a joyful certainty to your journey. Sing for your brothers, and with them, the song of joy and hope. Have no fear. The peace of God, surpassing all understanding, is with you.
